This is the second episode of nuroaTV, our video channel for real estate. To record it, we went to the March for a Vivienda Digna, which took place on 1 March. We marched from Plaza Catalunya to Via via Laeitana to the beat of Brazilian drums. It seems like I can’t escape Carnaval! I was sambaing during the march — maybe I kind of missed the point?

More seriously, I should probably be more discrete, but that’s not my style. The real story is that we approached the organizers to see if there were some way that we could help out, since we too believe that everyone deserves dignified housing. As I will write in another blog post, I came to Barcelona in chase of quality of life. It’s still here, but life is now a life more expensive than it was just five years ago, and housing is only once indice of the problem.

In any case, the organizers kindly but quickly ushered us out of their offices, noting that they don’t work with “companies”, which I got the impression was a kind of dirty word. I respect that, even though I think that it’s important to include ALL voices in discussions that affect all members of a given society. I might not share the methods of squatters and more revolutionary anti-capitalists, but I do understand their frustration. And the only way to solve the underlying problems is to have a constructive dialogue in which we look for solutions together.

But I’ll save my kumbaya speech for another moment. For now, it’s enough that you enjoy the video, and let me know: What does the right to dignified housing mean to you? Does it mean anything? And if it so, what should society do to ensure this right?